by Cookie N Screen
There is nothing more delightful to the ears than hearing “from the writer of Drive” combined with “and the author of The Talented Mr Ripley.” That is stamping gold stars all over your work before you’ve even begun. If you are doing a sixties drenched thriller in the golden shores of the Mediterranean it must be a winning combination. Imagine the sultry seducing plot, tantalising teasing humanity that spirals out of control thanks to an unforgiveable crime. The twists and turns, you simply cannot proceed your latest film with this crime drama holy duo of crime drama without incurring high expectations.
Luckily, The Two Faces of January delivers on its promises in this highly tense drama.
There is nothing more delightful to the ears than hearing “from the writer of Drive” combined with “and the author of The Talented Mr Ripley.” That is stamping gold stars all over your work before you’ve even begun. If you are doing a sixties drenched thriller in the golden shores of the Mediterranean it must be a winning combination. Imagine the sultry seducing plot, tantalising teasing humanity that spirals out of control thanks to an unforgiveable crime. The twists and turns, you simply cannot proceed your latest film with this crime drama holy duo of crime drama without incurring high expectations.
Luckily, The Two Faces of January delivers on its promises in this highly tense drama.
Based on a book by Patricia Highsmith, The Two Faces of January revolves around American tourists Chester and Colette who run into Rydal, an ex-Harvard student who is spending his summer fleecing impressionable tourists as a guide in Greece. Between being attracted to Colette and Chester’s fatherly familiarity, Rydal just cannot help but get swept up in their debacle. That being, the couple are on the run after Chester conned people out of millions of pounds. When the pair are rumbled by a private investigator, Chester panics and kills the man. As the trio runaway and into hiding, will their crimes eventually catch up with them?
The slow paced drama and the hazy way the characters collide on the steps of Greece fail to initially grab you. However, director and screenwriter Hossein Amini delectably weaves tension and drama through paranoia and intrigue. While it may not pack many punches, it’s the underlying distrust each character has for one another that unravels into an absorbing watch. Using the Grecian heat to boil the burdon, Amini lavishes in an initial imagined chase across ancient ruins and the effect is stunning. Allowing Chester to come undone in his crime and subsequent suspicion after means the film is entrancing in its calm drawl that would possibly fail in anyone else’s hand.
The slow paced drama and the hazy way the characters collide on the steps of Greece fail to initially grab you. However, director and screenwriter Hossein Amini delectably weaves tension and drama through paranoia and intrigue. While it may not pack many punches, it’s the underlying distrust each character has for one another that unravels into an absorbing watch. Using the Grecian heat to boil the burdon, Amini lavishes in an initial imagined chase across ancient ruins and the effect is stunning. Allowing Chester to come undone in his crime and subsequent suspicion after means the film is entrancing in its calm drawl that would possibly fail in anyone else’s hand.
The acting too is magnificent. The unlikely trio of Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Issacs and Kirsten Dunst allows the focus to be on the humanistic drama rather than the crime itself. Together, they flesh out this entangled power play of emotions and guilt. The main draw here is Mortensen, who plays Chester with this intense and powerful struggle as he strives to save himself at any cost. His nuanced performance astutely captures a man, not necessarily a villain, but caught in a web of his own deceit and falling to grasp control. Bouncing the drama off Issacs and Dunst, both excel at their own characters, the shifting roles, personalities and heightened danger make an enthralling affair.
While it may not capture a mainstream success because it is a slow burn, Amini makes sure the run time is nice and compact to not exceed many attention spans. This neatly cut film is unmissable, tantalising at best as well as being gorgeous to look at. The Two Faces of January is pure thrill, set in the intoxicating climate of Greece and with an evocative plot.
Available Extras – DVD & Blu-Ray:
- Twist & Thriller Featurette
- Shooting the Odyssey Featurette
- Travelling in Style Featurette
- Interviews with Director Hossein Amini, Actors Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Issac & Kirsten Dunst
- Deleted Scenes
- Bloopers
The Two Faces of January is out on DVD & Blu Ray now thanks to StudioCanal
While it may not capture a mainstream success because it is a slow burn, Amini makes sure the run time is nice and compact to not exceed many attention spans. This neatly cut film is unmissable, tantalising at best as well as being gorgeous to look at. The Two Faces of January is pure thrill, set in the intoxicating climate of Greece and with an evocative plot.
Available Extras – DVD & Blu-Ray:
- Twist & Thriller Featurette
- Shooting the Odyssey Featurette
- Travelling in Style Featurette
- Interviews with Director Hossein Amini, Actors Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Issac & Kirsten Dunst
- Deleted Scenes
- Bloopers
The Two Faces of January is out on DVD & Blu Ray now thanks to StudioCanal
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